Beyond Grammar (and Some Grammar)
The title of this week's chapter pages was "Beyond Grammar". It essentially discussed how texts could be organized, what types of organization make sense, and how to keep from referencing around the text too much. When a text is properly organized it allows us, the readers, to be able to follow the action so much better. I mean imagine an instruction manual that begins at the end. How useful is that? Or, my favorite texts are those that say "as we discussed in chapter 5, will touch on here, and further discuss in chapter 10." That is ridiculous. This is called "signposting". A weird name for a weird practice.
Further in the chapter, "Expository Style" is discussed. This is one the sections that kills me. Diction is not something that I really want to mess with. If the author used a word, then they wanted to use it and felt it was the right word to use. Granted, I do understand noting when the author should explain unfamiliar jargon. Why use specialized words for us lay people if you are not going to explain them? Now the "Deadwood" and "Circumlocutions" were parts of Expository Style that I have no problem editing. As a college student who must meet certain word counts, I attempt to do this all of the time. Yes, I catch myself doing this when I need more words, but I definitely see the usefulness in changing "a large proportion of" to "many".
My problem is the connotation of words. Some words are negative; thus they have mostly negative synonyms. So it takes a great deal more work for me to find replacements than it should. I guess I need to start learning more words.
Now verbs. Yes, I understand the basic conventions about them. Yet, there are some verbs that I hate. Particularly verbs when they are in passive voice. How I hate passive voice. My previous English professor made it a point to attack passive voice. I still have trouble with it. Now more than ever, I find myself a passive voice police officer, patrolling sentences like a police officer patrols the streets. My image of an editor is becoming more like an undercover police officer. The English Language police division with the phrase... I'll have to think of the catch-phrase for them.
In addition to reading this chapter, I had a few editing exercises to do (one for Spanish as well as two for this class). Like I said earlier, I prefer to be a light editor. Yet, I did not know how much either professor wanted me to edit. It was quite stressful. I was always second guessing myself. I would ask myself, "Should I do more?", "Should I do less?", and "How Should I fix this?". There are still grammatical rules that I am unsure of. Even writing right now I am unsure about whether I am doing things right or wrong. I never used to dissect my writing like this. I cannot figure out if I love it or not. Oh... I guess I kind of love it. It makes me better at writing and reading, which are the two things I love to do. And who doesn't like to get better at what they love?
Signed,
An English Lover.
Further in the chapter, "Expository Style" is discussed. This is one the sections that kills me. Diction is not something that I really want to mess with. If the author used a word, then they wanted to use it and felt it was the right word to use. Granted, I do understand noting when the author should explain unfamiliar jargon. Why use specialized words for us lay people if you are not going to explain them? Now the "Deadwood" and "Circumlocutions" were parts of Expository Style that I have no problem editing. As a college student who must meet certain word counts, I attempt to do this all of the time. Yes, I catch myself doing this when I need more words, but I definitely see the usefulness in changing "a large proportion of" to "many".
My problem is the connotation of words. Some words are negative; thus they have mostly negative synonyms. So it takes a great deal more work for me to find replacements than it should. I guess I need to start learning more words.
Now verbs. Yes, I understand the basic conventions about them. Yet, there are some verbs that I hate. Particularly verbs when they are in passive voice. How I hate passive voice. My previous English professor made it a point to attack passive voice. I still have trouble with it. Now more than ever, I find myself a passive voice police officer, patrolling sentences like a police officer patrols the streets. My image of an editor is becoming more like an undercover police officer. The English Language police division with the phrase... I'll have to think of the catch-phrase for them.
In addition to reading this chapter, I had a few editing exercises to do (one for Spanish as well as two for this class). Like I said earlier, I prefer to be a light editor. Yet, I did not know how much either professor wanted me to edit. It was quite stressful. I was always second guessing myself. I would ask myself, "Should I do more?", "Should I do less?", and "How Should I fix this?". There are still grammatical rules that I am unsure of. Even writing right now I am unsure about whether I am doing things right or wrong. I never used to dissect my writing like this. I cannot figure out if I love it or not. Oh... I guess I kind of love it. It makes me better at writing and reading, which are the two things I love to do. And who doesn't like to get better at what they love?
Signed,
An English Lover.
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